Isabela folk turn out for Bambanti Festival

Manila, Philippines - People from across Cagayan Valley attended the recent 11-day Bambanti Festival at the Isabela Sports Complex and other towns in the province.

The Bambanti Festival showcased the agro-tourism potential of Isabela, named after 16th century Queen Isabela of Spain, as it celebrated its 155th founding anniversary.

Isabela, dubbed as the rice granary of the north, has evolved into an agri-tourism destination. Comprising 34 municipalities and two cities, it has vast natural resources and mineral deposits just waiting to be tapped and raw beauty still unexplored.

The festival had lots of competitions such as the off–road extreme and motor challenges, booth contest, float parade, street dancing, and shootfest. Participants came from Baguio and Manila. Highlighting it was the search for Festival Queen of Isabela garnered by Christian Domingo, from Cabatuan town.

There were also inter-town men’s and women’s volleyball games and a basketball game between the Philippine Basketball Association’s All Stars and local players.

Culture and arts events were also anticipated, especially the drum and lyre event, hip-hop dancing challenge and contemporary choral competition. But what earned the bigger crowd was the scarecrow contest where towns tried to outdo each other for the best Bambanti symbol.

Francis Faustino Dy, as director-general, said the celebration showcased the good qualities of Isabelinos and the bounty and splendor of the province. He is the eldest son of Gov. Faustino “Bojie” Dy III.

During the agri-tourism exhibit, Sen. Miguel Zubiri said he was struck by the products of the province’s coastal communities. For one, Maco town brought rare shells and plants and even wild animals.

The last two nights of the festival saw the pageant’s coronation night at the sports complex, and the fashion night where mayors, board members and other provincial leaders walked onstage with their wives.       

The crowd went wild when Quezon Mayor Daryl Gascon entered the catwalk clad in native Kalinga attire complete with a spear. There were also Mayors Angelo Bernardo of Palanan with wife Eden, and Lourdes Panganiban and husband Joseph from Angadanan.

Getting wide applause were Vice Gov. Rodito Albano who appeared onstage with wife Rep. Mylene Garcia-Albano and their teenage son, and finally, Gov. Dy and wife Anne.

Capping the festivities were the awards handed out to the winning towns: P500,000 to Palanan town as second runner-up; P800,000 to Ilagan town as first runner–up; and P1 million to Cabatuan town as overall champion. Vice Mayor Roberto Agcaoili of San Mateo town bagged the Most Outstanding Isabelino award.